The midfielder picked out the Argentine's strength, Ferna's stamina and El Mago's left foot to generate the perfect player and kick off CityTV's latest series.

There was space for his old Borussia Dortmund colleagues too, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s speed, Marco Reus’ right foot, Sven Bender’s stamina and Adrian Ramos’ heading ability hypothetically merged to create what would be a frightening prospect for any opponent.

Ilkay also opted for fellow Premier League midfielder and international teammate Mesut Ozil’s vision, as we found out the two hail from the same town.

He had kind words for his current teammates, describing Silva as world class and explaining – from personal experience – just how hard it is to get the ball off strongman Aguero.